Knarl – Bad Luck
May 5th, 2023
Hardcore / Powerviolence
Independently Released
St. John’s, Newfoundland
Knarl are one of the bands at the forefront of the post-pandemic hardcore explosion that occurred in Newfoundland between 2021 and now, and the band has persisted through this time, releasing two demos and, their latest release, this EP from spring of 2023, Bad Luck. This EP features re-recorded, updated versions of songs from the band’s first two demos, giving them the much needed love and attention that they deserve.
Right from the get go this thing wastes no time pummeling the listener with heavy-ass drums, crunchy guitar riffage, and some of the most wretched harsh vocals I’ve heard out of St. John’s in recent memory. The EP opens with some sluggish riffs that drag along to a slow drum beat before exploding into a cacophony of blast beats and rapid fire power chords.
As the songs chug along we get treated to several quick bursts of no-bullshit hardcore punk. Most of the songs here barely clock in at one minute in length, preferring to get straight to the point (though there are a few slightly longer cuts throughout the runtime). The point in this instance is to write pissed off, relentless songs that inspire violent mosh pits and chaotic releases of energy. Before you know it Bad Luck is finished and Knarl have left you a pulsating mass of bloody viscera on the floor.
I appreciate how the band plays around with timing. While their sound overall seems to be more rooted in the kind of straightforward modern hardcore that has emerged over the past several years, Knarl easily qualify as a powerviolence band thanks to their experimentation with short time signature switches and how quickly the instrumentation changes on a dime (see “Bark / Bite”), as well as the inclusion of ultra-fast grindcore sections interjected here and there throughout the tracklist. The instrumental trio of Nathaniel Howell on guitar, Stephen O’Keefe on drums, and Mark Holloway on bass, have composed some quality hardcore on here. There’s a decent amount of variety as well. I love how sludgy the intro track feels versus the crust punk adjacent vibes of “Self Doubt” or the hilariously short grind anthem “Vincent” (which I think is dedicated to a cat).
Vocalist Nat Chiarot also does an excellent job on this release. Like I mentioned before the vocals here are absolutely wretched (complimentary). They’re mid to high pitched, raspy, and aggressive as fuck, bordering on blackened. It’s exactly the kind of vocal delivery I want from this kind of music, exuding anger and spite while frothing at the mouth. Chiarot is joined by the rest of the band with gang vocals on occasion, a trope which is of course a hardcore staple, and is a welcomed addition to the overall sound.
Knarl have provided us with an excellent first release on this EP, and its one I’ve returned to multiple times since its release. It’s unrepentant, pulls no punches, and accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. In the future I’d like to hear a longer release from this Fogtown quartet, but for now Bad Luck is a great start. I’m looking forward to hearing more grindy powerviolence from Knarl down the road.
Final Verdict: 4.5/5
Awesome
Favourite Tracks:
“Knarl Intro” / “Wraith”
“Vincent”
“Bad Luck”
“Selfsame”
“Self Doubt”
For Fans of:
Capitalist Casualties
Bulldoze
Year of the Knife
Dropdead
~ Akhenaten
HeavyNFLD 